Schools in close contests

CENTRAL SCHOOL NETBALL TEAM: Back: Sally MacNeilage (Coach), Asher Nepia-Anderson, Sophia Castles, Ayla Ferguson, Mokena Pishief. Front: Cera-Marie Edwards-Biddle, Gracie Keenan, Sophie Phelps, Maddie Claffey, Charlotte Willoughby.

Nineteen local schools took part in an interschool netball tournament during Term 3 this year.

Central School won Division 1 and Te Hapara, Division 2.

Home and away games were played, usually at lunchtime on Fridays.

This year Division 1 had nine teams: Awapuni, Central, Kaiti, Makaraka, Mangapapa, Manutuke, Ngā Uri a Maui, Te Wharau and Wainui.

Division 2 had 10: Makauri, Matawai, Muriwai, Ormond, Riverdale, St Mary's, Sonrise, Te Hapara, Waerenga-o-Kuri/Ngatapa/Rere and Te Karaka.

The tournament gives players an opportunity to play games in front of students from their own school, producing a sense of school spirit as schoolmates cheer them on.

Players also enjoy the opportunity to visit other schools in the district for competition and socialising.

This year both divisions had some keenly contested games and competition was close.

Both divisions were decided on goal differential.

Competition leaders Central and Te Wharau were tied on points in Division 1, as were Te Hapara and Te Karaka in Division 2.

Central won the School Supplies Netball Cup and Te Hapara were the inaugural winners of the GNC (Gisborne Netball Centre) Primary Interschool Netball Tournament Trophy.